Statistics Iceland has published a new paper in the Statistical Series which describes Icelandic naming practice and its evolution for recent generations as well as birthday distribution through time.
Birthdays
If you were born during the last 10 years, the highest chances are that your birthday is in July, August or September while if you were born 50 years ago, your birthday is almost equally likely to be from March through October.
Inheriting names
You are twice as likely to inherit your father’s given name if you are a man (11%) than your mother’s given name if you are a woman (5%), but you are only 5% more likely to carry your grandfather’s name if you are a man than your grandmother’s name if you are a woman.
You are twice as likely to carry a matronymic if you are a woman between 18 and 30 years old (2%) than if you are a woman between 30 and 50 years old (1%).
If you are a man aged 0-20 the probability of you carrying a matronymic is 1.2% but only 0.6% if you are aged 35-50.
You are more likely to inherit a family name from your father (about 70% chance) than your mother (about 15%).
Your chance of having a family name is 3.8% if you are over 50 years old, but 3.2% if you are younger.
There are three times more people called Blöndal than Berndsen or Norðdahl and twice as many people called Blöndal, Thorarensen or Hansen than Briem, Thorlacius or Jensen.
Names by birthplace
You are most likely named Jón, Guðmundur or Sigurður if you are a man, and Guðrún, Anna or Kristín if you are a woman, irrespective of your birthplace in Iceland.
If you are a baby girl born in 2016, your name is most likely Emilía if you are from the West, but Íris if you are from the East, Birta, Karítas or Sunna if from the Northeast, Emma from the Northwest, Auður if you are from the Westfjords, Hanna from the Southwest, Sara if you are from the Capital region and Kristín or Rakel if you are from the South.
If you are a baby boy born in 2016 your name is most likely Alexander if you are from the Capital region, the East and the Soutwest, but Aron if you are from the West and the Northeast, Arnar from the South, Baltasar or Arnór from the Northwest and Haukur, Sigurður or Trístan if you are from the Westjords.
Icelandic names and naming practice - Statistical Series